This is a preview issue of Quantum Campus, which shares the latest in quantum science and technology. Read by more than 1,700 researchers, we publish on Fridays and are always looking for news from across the country. Want to see your work featured? Submit your ideas to the editor.

Fractional Quantum Hall

Nature Physics reviewed recent research on the fractional quantum Hall effect and argued that it is the “dark horse” to perform the first topologically protected quantum computations. Topological computing is expected to dramatically reduce external influences on quantum systems and not require heavy error-correction routines.

The article discusses Majorana particles as a quantum platform and the practicality of using various superconductors to generate and manipulate them. It also features findings on creating a topological qubit from fractional quantum Hall anyons and braiding non-Abelian anyons.

Read the full article in Nature Physics. 

Neglectons

Researchers at the University of Southern California argue that Ising anyons may not “fall short of the full power required for universal quantum computing,” as many believed. Ising anyons are of interest because of their possible implications for exotic systems like the fractional quantum Hall state and topological superconductors. But, to date, braiding these anyons had only produced Clifford gates which are insufficient for universal quantum computing.

Using non-semisimple topological quantum field theory, the USC team added a new type of anyon, “which was previously discarded in traditional approaches to topological quantum computation,” to make the Ising anyons universal, according to an announcement from USC. Thus the name”neglectons.”

This research was published in Nature Communications.

Rydberg radar

Physicists developed a prototype radar that uses a quantum sensor based on the interaction of sound waves and Rydberg atoms. The team included members from NIST and RTX, a defense contractor. The device may someday be useful in applications like underground construction, gas and oil exploration, or archeological digs, where its ability to work across a wide range of frequency bands might be particularly useful. This work was covered by MIT Technology Review.

Other researchers have used Rydberg atoms to assess and benchmark semiconductor-based chips and prototype the use of satellite signals for the remote measurement of soil moisture. 

Light to current

University of California Riverside engineers developed a new method for distinguishing photovoltaic and photothermoelectric effects, two ways light can be converted to electric current. Using a specialized scanning method and an atomic-force microscope, they “were able to pinpoint where and how the effects occurred — down to the nanometer scale,” according to an announcement. They were also able to steer heat through the materials.

This work appeared in Science Advances.

Quickbits

• A high-efficiency elementary network of interchangeable superconducting qubit devices (Nature Electronics)

• Quantum technology governance: A standards-first approach (Science)

• Optical protection of alkali-metal atoms from spin relaxation (PRL)

Quantum Campus is edited by Bill Bell, a science writer and marketing consultant who has covered physics and high-performance computing for more than 25 years. Disclosure statement.